Fund for Museum Development
The fund has been created to promote museum development and to commemorate Manneby (1946-2008) former chair of Swedish ICOM, the International Council of Museums. His legacy can be summarized as “An empiricist’s search for the comprehensive view”. For more details on the Hans Manneby Memorial Fund for Museum Development please read the Memorandum of Association and the Statutes for the Fund.

An archaeologist deeply rooted in contemporary society
Hans Manneby was an extraordinary man within the museum world. He thrived on his wide experience from years of working in different capacities in various museum fields and made use of this experience throughout his career. Always questioning, always pragmatic and unconventional in his search for solutions and ways forward whatever obstacles turned up.

These characteristics he brought forward in his contributions while working internationally on museum issues. He was instrumental in building SAMP, Swedish African Museum Programme, (from September 2008 Samp the intercontinental museum network), the Swedish - South African Partnership Programme, as well as strengthening the Swedish chapter of ICOM (International Council of Museums). By inspiring and being inspired by other experiences and knowledge he set out to investigate new visions for present and future museums; museums in close contact with contemporary society and its needs and wishes.
Hans Manneby worked to revitalize the concept of museum. With great presence, energy and a strong engagement he reached beyond personal interests and he believed in connecting museums from all continents, building global networks.

The Work of Hans Manneby
Hans Manneby was at the peak of a lengthy and eventful career in the museum field when his life was cut short. His death, at the early age of 62, meant that many of his plans had not been completed; notably his work on a comprehensive re-organization of the museums in the west of Sweden.

During the 1970s the system of County Museums was introduced which provided a platform for Hans Manneby’s endeavours for many years. While he was still a student he alternated courses in archaeology, ethnology, sociology and history with various commissions in the cultural sphere. He received considerable inspiration and encouragement from the legendary Swedish archaeologist Carl-Axel Moberg while studying in Gothenburg.

In the years following graduation Hans Manneby held a number of posts in different parts of Sweden while also continuing to study. However, under the pressure of his professional duties in the museum field, in due course he abandoned his doctoral studies.

In 1987 Hans Manneby was appointed director of the Västgöta/Skaraborg County Museum and in 1992 he became director of the Bohuslän County Museum, Uddevalla. It was as director of county museums that Hans Manneby created his working methodology and his vision of the place of museums in contemporary life. Planned development of the operations, long-term and systematic development for staff and organization, new museum premises with new activities to profile the museum as well as a number of major development projects are among his successes in the museum field. He was also responsible for various official reports with regard to Swedish museums and international aspects of the museum sector. His last major challenge was that of creating “Västarvet” which was to be an organization devoted to the natural and cultural heritage of the Västra Götaland region of Sweden. Sadly, he died before he was able to complete the project.

Hans Manneby combined visionary ideas with a pragmatic approach to change and development. To achieve clear results and give museums a prominent place in society was important to him. In what may well have been intended as the start of a more carefully considered policy declaration he wrote: “Theoretical and political statements about culture and reality have something in common. They often cease in mid-stride and remain hanging in the air. And so they seldom inspire or challenge us. Thus it is wiser for a hardened empiricist to seek his point of departure in what actually exists.”

Hans Manneby certainly followed this advice with a large measure of curiosity about the overriding social contexts and perspectives, with faith in the important, international function of museums and with the mind-set of “never, ever giving up”. Thus he still has something to say to everyone who wants to improve and develop museum operations.

Board of the Foundation

The Foundation is governed and administered by a board consisting of five members. Bertil Falck, Gothenburg, Sweden, bf@bokmassan.se, is the president of the Foundation. Elisabet Olofsson, info@museumhorizon.se, is acting Secretary of the Board. Other members of the Board are; Anita Modin, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden tita.modin@gmail.com, Inkyung Chang, Iron Museum, South Korea, ladyiron@hanmail.net and Elina Nygård, Ájtte, Svenskt Fjäll- och Samemuseum, Jokkmokk, Sweden, elina.nygard@ajtte.com.

The foundation has been approved by Swedish Authorities with the right to collect funds (insamlingsfond in Swedish) and is operating under the control and rules of Swedish Authorities.